by Mark Ratzky, publicity, Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — The 9-year-old pacing mare Biggest Big Bertha and Rick Plano make a great team, as the former was winning for the 54th time last week with Luke Plano at the helm, while her conditioner has made nearly 5,500 visits to the charmed enclosure in his career.

Biggest Big Bertha is one of the most popular performers on the grounds, with her most recent once-around of the oval pushing her bank account over $318,000, much to the delight of those who took 3-5 on the veteran mare.

The Marilee Keene color-bearer joined the Plano barn earlier this year and has been a welcome addition.

“They were deciding whether to breed her or not and giving her one more shot at racing,” Rick Plano explained. “She’s acting more like a 3- or 4-year-old these days.”

As for Plano, he continues to make a steady march into the local winner’s circle, reaching the 5,000-victory plateau last fall. For those who keep track, this has resulted in $21.5 million in earnings.

“I wish I still had a fraction of that money,” he joked.

“It would have been special to get my 5,000th win at Vernon Downs, which is where I started, but it was also very special to get it here at Cal-Expo. This is where I’ve won the majority of those races, and my wife and family were here to be part of it.”

Looking back over his career, Plano points to Keepyourpantson as his favorite performer, noting that having that pacer and The Starting Gate at the same time was extremely satisfying.

“The Starting Gate got more recognition, because he went back East and competed in the Meadowlands Pace and North America Cup, but I have to say that Keepyourpantson was my favorite,” Plano said. “We bred and raised him and he was one heck of a racehorse.”

In recent seasons, Rick has turned many of the drives over to his son Luke, who has developed into one of the top pilots at this oval and as mentioned earlier was in the bike for Biggest Big Bertha’s most recent tally.

Big Guy, Boyce team for game score

Sue Boyce knew she had her work cut out when Big Guy Two Win landed the demanding 10 post for last weekend’s finale of the TVG Amateur Driver series, but it all worked out in the end for the Martha Olivas-owned, Dario Solares-trained pacer.

Despite dueling for the lead while being parked a good portion of the mile, Big Guy Two Win was able to get some separation once straightened for home, then had enough left to hold off a charging Mighty Fella and Rick Bertrand to register his seventh and biggest win of the year.

“The race never goes like you imagine, but you try to envision different scenarios going in,” Boyce related. “I was thinking about speed in the first quarter, which other horses would be leaving along with the driver for those horses, and then the horses that figured to be closing best in the mile.”

Boyce found herself head-and-head for command while outside longshot Chomp And Stomp for the first half, with fractions of :28.4 and :57.4 to that point, then got to the inside and the lead on the final bend while now being hooked by Nightscreamer. Big Guy Two Win was actually able to open up a little over a length with an eighth to go, giving everything he had to last over the favorite.

“Once I could not get to the top easily, I tried not to push the pace,” Boyce explained.

That strategy worked, with the third quarter just a tick under :30 and a :29 final panel by the son of Towner’s Big Guy sealed the deal in an extremely game 1:56.3 tour.

Rich Wojcio eyeing an August return

Rich Wojcio, who suffered a concussion, a broken left arm and facial injuries in a spill here in January, is back at the track and plans to return to action when the second half of this meet rolls around in August.

“I don’t remember a thing about the race, just waking up and being all banged up,” said the 49-year-old Wojcio. “It’s the worst accident I’ve had in 34 years of driving, and I’m just grateful that nobody else was hurt.”

Rich has been back at the track for about six weeks now, gradually building up his strength.

“The healing process went pretty well, but I had to go to physical therapy for about seven weeks for what they call frozen shoulder, which means everything in that area had tightened up.”

Wojcio has been coming on the track very early in the morning, at a time when there are not many horses out there, and he’s slowly getting back into the groove that has seen him win 3,632 races in his career with over $21 million in earnings.

“The fastest I’ve been to this point is just a 2:07 mile,” he related. “Mentally, I’m very anxious to get back, because this is by far the longest time I’ve ever been away from driving because of an accident. The weather is just starting to get warm, so it’s great to be back.

“I should be ready around July, but of course that’s when we’ll be on a break, so I’ll be set when the meet starts again. I want to thank everybody for their support, because it’s meant a lot to me.”